Expert Evaluation and Student Acceptance of a Virtual Reality Learning Object in Higher Education: A Two-Phase Descriptive Study Using the System Usability Scale and the Core UTAUT Constructs

The adoption of virtual reality (VR) in higher education depends partly on how usable and acceptable VR resources are perceived to be. This two-phase study evaluated a 360° VR learning object about women scientists commemorated in the street names of Seville. In Phase 1, 71 experts selected with the Expert Competence Coefficient provided 127 evaluations of two design variants (n = 71 and n = 56) in desktop mode, using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and five quality ratings out of 10. In Phase 2, 161 students from intact class groups used the object in desktop (n = 56) or head-mounted immersive mode (n = 105) and completed a 20-item questionnaire on five core constructs of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). SUS scores were 78.50 and 80.95, above the reference mean of 68. Version 1 was rated 0.40–0.72 points higher on all five quality dimensions (g = 0.25–0.45); because most experts rated both variants, these comparisons are descriptive and no inferential test is reported. Student ratings were favourable (construct means 6.71–7.84) and the four constructs analysed as scales did not differ significantly between modes (all r ≤ 0.11), a comparison limited by group-level assignment. Because the phases involve different populations and instruments, instructional design and immersion cannot be compared directly. Learning outcomes are not reported.